UKC

I have some brickwork / concrete (Shed foundations) that I need to dig out of the ground and some concrete borders/ tarmac paths that need digging up to lay some turf down.

Will a Pick-axe/Mattock be any good for smashing up the foundations, or will a sledgehammer be better?

I guess using both would be best. Trying to do it as on the cheap over a weekend

In reply to goldmember:

Sledgehammer. Work from an edge (undermined a little if need be) so the strikes flex the concrete and it'll break away in chunks. I took out a concrete path that way using a lump hammer, it wasn't fun but it was fairly quick.
jk

In reply to goldmember:
Sledge hammer and a long bar to lever it up now and then. You'll just damage your wrists with a pick, good for hard dirt but useless on concrete.
If you don't have one you can hire them very very cheaply, about £5 for the weekend.

In reply to goldmember:

Why not hire a Kango hammer?

In reply to FesteringSore:

Plant some weeds,wait 30 years.

In reply to goldmember:

Using a pick is just asking to have a shard of concrete in embedded in your soft tissue and won't get you very far very fast. That said, wear eye protection regardless, even a sledge will send little bits flying.

In reply to paul mitchell:

knotweed?

Tempted by a Kango, but don't want the expense, noise or risk hurting myself?

I've got some old bed sheeting that I would cover the concrete before bashing it, should stop most flying bits

In reply to goldmember:

Having taken up a huge amount of concrete in my back garden then a Kango for the tough stuff will save you hours and hours. If you can undermine it, much easier though. Dig a bit and then hit with a sledgehammer. If you can't and it's more than a few inches thick, Kango is the way to go.
Definitely wear eye protection regardless of method. I would have ended up in hospital on several occassions if i hadn't. Costs a few quid...

In reply to goldmember:

Put some safety goggles on. Grit in the eye can cause serious and painful injury.

In reply to goldmember:

Hire the right tool for a day. A small hammer is dead easy to use (they are recoil-less) and cuts stuff up really quickly.

In reply to goldmember:

It doesn't take a lot to injure an eye...thirded (fourthed?) about wearing eye protection.

A breaking bar might come in handy for levering open weaknesses in the concrete too.

In reply to goldmember:

Kango hammer, makes the job easy and almost enjoyable.

In reply to goldmember:
I did a similar thing recently, cut it with an angle grinder and concrete disk then hit it loads with a hammer, it came apart really easy and didnt wake up my golfers elbow.

My dad did a similar thing using an SDS drill with a chisel bit. it took him less time, however i think i was more manly...


plus as everyone says wear eye protection no matter how you do it....

In reply to goldmember:

+1 for hiring the right tool for the job.

In reply to goldmember:
As above, sledge near the edge, then use your pick to lever up the concrete until it breaks under its own weight. You can also lever up - chuck a stone under - then strike with sledge. It's all about lifting the concrete slab away from the hardcore/soil beneath andhe when you have done this it takes surprisingly little force to break.

Don't use a power tool much more satisfying with sledgehammer

In reply to goldmember:

Get something electric and powerful and you'll have it done in reasonable time. The concrete at our place was indestructible near enough - a day battering it with sledges and jumping bars did nothing more than make a few cup sized dents. We then hired a big hammer drill and modified plans to work around the concrete as much as possible.

It may of course be poor concrete for a shed - just rubble and a thin layer of concrete over the top - only one way to find out. But, if you've got borders and paths too, get something with some oomph - you'll have your work cut out just lifting it and putting it somewhere else.

Buy some really tough gloves. A long bar is invaluable for and prising the broken bits apart and getting them out of the ground.

In reply to goldmember:
Those rubbery red/orange gloves can be bought for a pound a pair in some shops, and probably online too. When I started wearing 'magic gloves' inside them it was a revelation in terms of protecting the skin of my hands while they're inside relatively rough gloves and getting sweaty without anywhere for the moisture to escape to.

A couple of pairs inside them when it's cold is a nice combination too - or one pair of similar warmth etc.

In reply to goldmember:

Just did a similar job removing the base for a greenhouse.

Sledgehammer and mattock did the job just fine. Will all depend of the quality of the work of the person who laid the concrete. Hope for bodger!
Good luck.

In reply to goldmember:


You are more likely to injure yourself with a sledgehammer than a kango.

In reply to interdit:

Agree with sledge and pick axe in combination unless it's an unusually thick shed base or is reinforced. Fun and surprisingly straightforward. Drills and electric bashes totally unnecessary. You've still got to move it manually unless you go to the ludicrous length of a digger!

In reply to goldmember:

If it's poor quality thin concrete use bar ( about 30mm diam) and sledgehammer
If thick good stuff add Kango
Really easy to damage yourself breaking concrete, right tools for job, steady away

In reply to goldmember:

Where are you located? I have a HILTI TE75 breaker you could use if you're not too far away.
(Ps. Wtf is a pick axe?mattock?sledgehammer?).

In reply to goldmember:
It really depends on the concrete and how much there is. Don't spend any money until you have tried what you have got. Some concrete can be lifted with a spade, some concrete is difficult to break with a 3 tonne digger and a pecker.

In reply to goldmember:

You don't need a Kango. Just a medium electric breaker from somewhere like HSS. Very quiet, very light, very low vibration and gets the job done really easily. Very little mess as well.

In reply to goldmember:
Sledgehammer, crowbar for levering out blocks and some rock music. Or increase speed and entertainment by getting your mates round to help and having a BBQ after - cheaper and more fun than power tool hire.